–Finance Minister Says Government Moving to Bring Services Closer to Citizens as Payroll Cleanup and Infrastructure Projects Gain Momentum
TUBMANBURG, Bomi County — Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has reaffirmed the Boakai administration’s commitment to decentralization, public sector reform, and equitable development, outlining a series of initiatives aimed at bringing government services closer to citizens and ensuring counties benefit more directly from Liberia’s natural resources.
Speaking Thursday, June 18, at the dedication of the Civil Service Agency’s Western Regional Office in Tubmanburg, Minister Ngafuan said the government is steadily implementing President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s vision of decentralization despite significant fiscal and institutional challenges inherited by the administration.
Addressing local government officials from Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties, the Finance Minister stressed that decentralization remains a central pillar of the government’s development agenda.
“We want people in the counties to remain in the counties,” Ngafuan declared. “Government must get closer to its people.”
Revenue Sharing and County Benefits
The Minister’s remarks came after county superintendents raised concerns about delays in the disbursement of social development funds and questioned whether local communities are receiving adequate benefits from the extraction of natural resources in their counties.
Responding to those concerns, Ngafuan acknowledged that counties are owed resources and pledged that government would continue working to ensure that revenues generated from concessions and other activities reach local communities.
“We owe counties. The government owes counties. But we will have to pay,” he said, adding that the administration has already begun addressing inherited obligations while ensuring that current commitments are met.
He further disclosed that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, in collaboration with the Liberia Revenue Authority, is developing mechanisms to fully implement Liberia’s Revenue Sharing Law, which allocates a portion of locally generated revenues back to counties.
County Treasuries Planned
As part of the decentralization process, Ngafuan announced that the government is moving ahead with the construction of county treasury facilities across Liberia.
According to him, Bomi County will host one of the regional treasury centers that will serve multiple counties, reducing the need for government institutions to travel to Monrovia for financial transactions and administrative services.
He disclosed that six county treasury facilities are expected to be constructed during the current fiscal period as part of a nationwide rollout.
Payroll Reform and Volunteer Workers
The Finance Minister also addressed longstanding concerns regarding volunteer workers in the education and health sectors, acknowledging that thousands of Liberians continue to serve without being formally integrated into government payroll systems.
He said the government has allocated resources in the national budget to address portions of the problem while working closely with relevant ministries and the Legislature to identify sustainable solutions.
“The classroom is a sacred place. The future of the country is in the classroom,” Ngafuan said, stressing that quality standards would remain important as additional teachers and health workers are recruited onto government payrolls.
Defending Government Progress
In an impassioned defense of the administration’s performance, Ngafuan argued that many Liberians fail to appreciate the scale of the challenges inherited by the Boakai government.
Using a series of analogies, he said the administration has had to rebuild institutions and revive stalled projects that had fallen into disrepair over the years. “Where we met it is not where we are today,” he said. “Today is better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today.”
He pointed to ongoing investments in roads, education, health, public administration, and civil service reform as evidence that the government is laying the foundation for long-term national development.
Supporting Civil Service Transformation
Ngafuan praised Civil Service Agency Director-General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr. for spearheading reforms within the civil service and successfully rehabilitating the Tubmanburg regional office, which had previously fallen into a state of disrepair.
He revealed that the Ministry of Finance has already provided funding for the construction of the country’s first regional Civil Service Agency headquarters in Gbarnga, Bong County, and is reviewing a proposal for a similar facility in southeastern Liberia.
The Minister subsequently cut the ribbon officially dedicating the Western Regional Office, which will serve Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties.
He described the facility as an important step toward ensuring that citizens can access payroll, recruitment, and civil service services closer to their communities.
“The development train must continue to roll until it reaches its destination,” Ngafuan said. “We have not reached our destination yet, but we are moving forward.”
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